Will DJ Caruso be the one to helm Preacher?

Over the past few days there have been some projects trying to come out of development hell, today we have another one to discuss--PREACHER.

This adaptation has been passed from director to director never truly finding a match that will stick. The big problem is the material. Preacher is such a graphic, brutal story with some shit that people will find hard to swallow. Of course, this isn't a common thing. But writer Garth Ennis has a long history of penning crazy, f*cked up shit that he would like who ever eventually takes it to be faithful to. John August (BIG FISH) wrote the screenplay with Neil Moretz set to produce. Moretz said that August's script is, “a really faithful adaptation but made it probably more accessible to a broader audience.”

Peter from /Film is reporting that one of his "well placed Hollywood spies" informed him that DJ Caruso (DISTURBIA, I AM NUMBER FOUR) is in talks to direct the big-screen adaptation of PREACHER. This following some news last September from Moretz saying that “another unnamed director has apparently signed on". Several directors have been rumored like Joe Carnahan (THE A TEAM) and Darren Aronofsky apparently expressed interest. Sam Mendes was hired by Columbia Pictures at one point but dropped it to go after the BOND job. James Marsden was on board early on to star as Jesse for the HBO series adaptation directed by Mark Steven Johnson. This also fell through.

Kevin Smith was interested as well and through Twitter gave /Film the real story on the project when his hands were on it: "Preacher was never "set up" at View Askew with a $25mil budget. At one point, Garth & Steve grabbed a beer & burger with me & @SMosier at the Tribeca Grill, where we said "Use our names for whatever our names are worth." Our names were worth bupkis. @SMosier & I pitched it to BobWeinstein, who said "I don't get it. This is a comic book? The Crow I get. This? No." And that was the extent of our involvement with Preacher: a beer & burger & a no from Bob. It was Rachel Talalay's flick; me & @SMosier were just fans of the book & the creative team of Garth & Steve. James Marsden was never involved during this period (which wasn't even a period, so much as a three day stretch)."

Well all that history aside, let's hope DJ Caruso is a rumor. Really, aside from THE SALTON SEA (which I adore) Caruso just doesn't fit the bill for me. This isn't amateur hour kids. This is big game. I mean this all in the nicest possible way of course. This is just something I really think could be amazing if handled by the right people.

Extra Tidbit:

I like the idea of PREACHER being a series on HBO, however, get someone different to direct. While they may want to do a "series of films" this seems better set for HBO who can manage and host the material.

Preacher, to me, never seemed like it would be suited to a feature film or indeed three. From my limited knowledge of the series it seems it could be perfectly adapted to a TV series to cover the mass of information and backstory. I agree that The Walking Dead is a great example to go by and it's just a shame Darabont never got behind this too. As for casting, I never much liked Marsden as Jesse as for me he doesn't have the edge needed. The only two that ever sprung to mind for me are Cillian

Preacher, to me, never seemed like it would be suited to a feature film or indeed three. From my limited knowledge of the series it seems it could be perfectly adapted to a TV series to cover the mass of information and backstory. I agree that The Walking Dead is a great example to go by and it's just a shame Darabont never got behind this too. As for casting, I never much liked Marsden as Jesse as for me he doesn't have the edge needed. The only two that ever sprung to mind for me are Cillian Murphy or Misha Collins (Supernatural) as they both have a quality that I'd like to see put to good use in Jesse's shoes. Preacher is violent, twisted and dirty...it needs a director who isn't afraid to get down on his knees and cover himself in that particular material. And finally, it simply must be a hard 'R', there is no exception to this and it cannot be anything else.

Ehhh, I really think they should have gone with the aforementioned HBO series route. There's just too much stuff in the series to cram into one movie, and even if they made a trilogy, the extreme nature of the story would probably put mainstream audiences off of seeing a second film.

Either way, not overly thrilled with Caruso; he`s kind of hit and miss (although Salton Sea was the shit). The story needs someone with the balls to make the film as close as possible to the source. If he

Ehhh, I really think they should have gone with the aforementioned HBO series route. There's just too much stuff in the series to cram into one movie, and even if they made a trilogy, the extreme nature of the story would probably put mainstream audiences off of seeing a second film.

Either way, not overly thrilled with Caruso; he`s kind of hit and miss (although Salton Sea was the shit). The story needs someone with the balls to make the film as close as possible to the source. If he didn`t have Kick Ass 2 coming up, I`d suggest Matthew Vaughn.

Unless Caruso has a trick up his sleeve, I really don't think he's the guy for the job. He's a little too slick and flash as a director for this kind of story. Although I'm not sure he could handle the humor, I always imagined a John Hillcoat type of filmmaker at the reigns. Sam Mendes made sense to me, too.

Unless Caruso has a trick up his sleeve, I really don't think he's the guy for the job. He's a little too slick and flash as a director for this kind of story. Although I'm not sure he could handle the humor, I always imagined a John Hillcoat type of filmmaker at the reigns. Sam Mendes made sense to me, too.

I adore the Preacher series and I will seriously lose sleep if D.J. Caruso directed it. I mean I loved the Salton Sea, liked Disturbia and utterly hated Eagle Eye and Taking Lives. I am Number Four looks okay but I am pretty sure it won't be a loved film. Yeah i'll give the man props for directing a few really good episodes of the Shield, but he cannot do Preacher. I was praying for Sam Mendes who would do the series justice but please for the love of god avoid Caruso. Though just watch will

I adore the Preacher series and I will seriously lose sleep if D.J. Caruso directed it. I mean I loved the Salton Sea, liked Disturbia and utterly hated Eagle Eye and Taking Lives. I am Number Four looks okay but I am pretty sure it won't be a loved film. Yeah i'll give the man props for directing a few really good episodes of the Shield, but he cannot do Preacher. I was praying for Sam Mendes who would do the series justice but please for the love of god avoid Caruso. Though just watch will jinx ourselves and find out the real director signed is Michael Bay.

damn it

Can't be done

While there is a bunch of stuff that could be cut from the 66+ issues of story but in the end it's still just too much for a single film. The best was when this was being shopped as a series sort of like Walking Dead. Outside of a show this story would need at least 2 movies with the break coming when Jesse gets separated from Tulip and Cassidy.

I enjoyed the Watchmen for what it was worth, ie only about 70% of the story making it to the screen, but i do not want Preacher to have to deal

While there is a bunch of stuff that could be cut from the 66+ issues of story but in the end it's still just too much for a single film. The best was when this was being shopped as a series sort of like Walking Dead. Outside of a show this story would need at least 2 movies with the break coming when Jesse gets separated from Tulip and Cassidy.

I enjoyed the Watchmen for what it was worth, ie only about 70% of the story making it to the screen, but i do not want Preacher to have to deal with the same restriction, especially when its a much larger (though not as complex) of a story then Watchmen is.

This would be great to see. I would be fine with Caruso directing since he is a good and established director (i.e. The Salton Sea, Disturbia). Again they need someone experienced for material like this, not some amateur.

This might be better suited for television though. Unless the ideas for the string of movies were really good.

And also no James Marsden. He is a good actor, but not for something like this.

This would be great to see. I would be fine with Caruso directing since he is a good and established director (i.e. The Salton Sea, Disturbia). Again they need someone experienced for material like this, not some amateur.

This might be better suited for television though. Unless the ideas for the string of movies were really good.

And also no James Marsden. He is a good actor, but not for something like this.